The state government has convened a special cabinet meeting which will focus on the populist schemes for the tribal belt.
The state government has convened a special cabinet meeting at Nashik on Wednesday which will focus on the populist schemes for the tribal belt of north Maharashtra region.
Chief minister Ashok Chavan is likely to announce a Rs5,000-crore special financial package for overall development of the region which encompasses 48 assembly constituencies crucial for the Congress-NCP combine. The state assembly has total 288 assembly seats.
Chavan held a marathon meeting with senior bureaucrats to fine tune the package with emphasis on the basic infrastructure development of Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar. He also emphasised that funds allocated for the region’s development should be implemented for the stated projects within a time frame.
A senior officer in the finance ministry said, “How is finance minister Dilip Walse-Patil going to generate the funds for special packages?” The department will have to engage in jugglery of statistics to ensure the impressive package on paper, and its real implementation is not going to be hurdle free, he added.
The cabinet meeting at Nashik is significant as it also happens to be the home town of deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal. Sources said Bhujbal will press for higher allocations for the ministry of public works department to enable them to expedite the construction of roads for better connectivity within north Maharashtra.
In the agriculture sector, the problems related to onion cultivators will be discussed at the meet. Apart from onions, Nashik is also a known as the hub of grape cultivation. Nashik, which has evolved as a major industrial hub known for its highly volatile political activities, will be hosting its first cabinet meeting under the Democratic Front government.
North Maharashtra, also referred as “Khandesh”, should get the package at par with the Konkan region, the chief minister had suggested to officials who were compiling the projects department wise.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}